Human activities pollute air, water and land in different ways.

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Introduction

By Arran Roberts Contents Page Title 2 ..........................................................Contents 3..........................................................Loss Of Habitat 5...........................................................Human Activities 7............................................................Solutions Loss of Habitat The amount of land available for animals and plants is reduced by Man's land use, mainly activities such as quarrying, building, farming and dumping waste. Quarrying is a major threat to plants which grow specifically in rocky areas, such as yellow larkspur and American Hart's-Tongue Fern. Plants of this nature are becoming more difficult to find as more quarries appear. (Lakeside daisy threatened by limestone quarrying) Building is a large cause of loss of habitat, towns and cities are outwardly expanding and more land is being used for housing and other large scale building projects such as shopping malls and new roads. Draining of swamps and wetlands and deforestation are also greatly contributed to by building. Loss of habitat and habitat fragmentation are areas of major concern in species conservation, building often results in large areas of habitat being broken up into a series of smaller areas, each of which will support fewer species. ...read more.

Middle

Biodegradable waste that is dumped causes a huge problem by producing the flammable gas methane which contributes to global warming. Human Activities Human activities pollute air, water and land in different ways. * Oil spills are becoming a large scale problem, causing devastating effects to marine wildlife. The oil is almost impossible to clean up, spreading over large areas very quickly. Even solutions designed to dissolve the oil can cause an imbalance in the ocean environment. Much water pollution is also caused by sewage and fertilizers seeping into water and starting the process of eutrophication by encouraging the growth of aquatic plants and algae. This process quickly blocks waterways, uses up oxygen and blocks light to deeper water. When this occurs, it kills aquatic organisms in large numbers which leads to disruptions in the food chain. Many industrial and power plants use rivers, streams and lakes to dispose of waste heat. The introduction of hotter water can lead to thermal pollution. ...read more.

Conclusion

Changes of even a few degrees will affect the whole planet through changes in the climate. Acid Rain is caused by emissions from industries which burn fossil fuels. Sulphur dioxide Solutions * Many Conservationist organizations are finding ways to minimise and combat the negative effects that Man is having on the environment. Oil pollution is a growing problem being addressed by Greenpeace, in protest to drilling for oil and by continuing to combat the effects of oil spills. * The use of compost in agriculture is a way of maintaining or restoring the quality of soils because of the properties of the organic matter contained in the compost. It is a valuable method of tackling organic matter depletion and soil erosion in southern europe as well as in areas continuously used in arable production where organic matter levels are decreasing. * The Countryside and Rights of Way Act was passed on 30th November 2000. This legislation puts into place additional safeguards for the most precious wildlife habitats and endangered species. * Strict guidelines have been set to reduce emissions contributing to global warming and to increase recycling in Britain. ?? ?? ?? ?? 2 ...read more.

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